Homeostasis Flashcards
What is homeostasis?
The ability of the body to maintain a constant internal environment
Which systems are involved in homeostasis?
The nervous system, endocrine system
What are the parts of the control centre?
Receptors, coordination centres, effectors
What do receptors do?
Detects a stimulus ( a change in environment)
What is the role of coordination centres?
Receive information from receptors, process it and initiate a response
Where are the coordination centres found?
Brain, spinal cord, glands
What are the role effectors?
Produce a response (e.g. muscles contract)
What are examples of effectors?
Muscles, glands
What is the optimum temperature of the human body?
37 degrees Celsius
Why does the body do when it’s too cold?
Skeletal muscles contract rapidly (shivering) - contractions need energy from respiration and some of it is released in heat
What happens to blood vessels when it’s too cold?
Become narrower which allows less blood to flow through the skin and conserve the core body temperature
What happens to the body when it’s too hot?
Sweat glands release more swear - swear evaporates transferring heat energy from skin to environment
What happens to blood vessels when it’s too hot?
Become wider - allows more blood to flow through the skin and more heat to be lost in environment
Where can you find endocrine systems?
In glands
Where can you find nervous systems?
In brain and spinal cord
What does the endocrine system travel through?
The blood
What does the nervous system travel through?
Neurones
What is type 1 diabetes?
When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin
What is type 2 diabetes?
When a person’s body cells no longer responds to insulin
What type of people is type 2 diabetes more common in?
Older people
What happens when blood sugar rises in the blood?
Insulin (made by the pancreas), encourages the body’s cells to take up glucose. Cells of the liver and muscles take up and store the excess glucose as glycogen
What does the body do if blood glucose levels are too low?
Liver releases some of the stored glucose in the blood. This change is brought by glucagon
